Alamo

Postcard of the Alamo : San Antonio, TX

I feel that I need to mention this little piece.

On my search over the years to "discover" my composition technique.. at one time, I had decided that I would compose a series of "postcard" pieces.
Basically, I would put the post card on the piano.. and then use it and the message on the back as inspiration.

Many people have sent me postcards over the years. But this particular postcard stood out. Mainly because it was from my parents.. and because of what my mom wrote on the back.

She explains that her visit there made her want to weep.

After staring at the postcard for several weeks.. I came up with a motif and sketched out this composition around it. -Keep in mind- This composition occured BEFORE I began composing my completely improvisational pieces. This piece is a hybrid... both predetermined motifs and improvisation during the recording.

The Alamo is more than just an old, strategically placed mission.

I believe that this location.. it's history.. represents human determination.

The story of David Crockett, and how they held the Alamo against terrible odds. All of the blood that was shed in the historical struggles to control this land.. was it in vain?

These men and women died for us. So that we may be free. So that the ideas of our founding fathers could flourish.

So.. this piece is somewhat of a Dirge... Very sad. Yet.. somehow.. hopefull, steadfast, determined, and accepting. For them.

For us.

Alamo.Mp3 (c) 2001 William Cushman (5:10 / 4.8Mb)
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Want to use this piece in your project or website - royalty & commercial free at no cost?
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-Bill

Under my Skin

Caleb's Art age 4 : "Crash" (Click picture for bigger version)CC2005

Boys think so differently than girls at this age. Take for example Ava over at Ward's blog. She's 4, but her art has so much more realism to it.

Caleb is just pure abstract. If I ask him what he painted.. (like I did on this one), he says, "there was a man running and he went Crash!" Boys are awesome.

How perfectly does that tie in with my composition...

I recorded this piece after several months of just working my fingers to the bone (at the restaurant- not on the music). This work was the oupouring of emotion, exhaustion, and being just totally pissed off about work and the bull that I had to put up with.

You know what I'm talking about. The endless nonsense that drives you crazy. But you keep on going at it. Have to. There's a family at home that needs my support. But sometimes you can only take so much. And work just gets down deep under my skin and just won't relent. Talk about a man who went Crash!

The piano called to me.

And so I spat this frustration out on the keyboard. Point blank. I felt like I was dictating a spiritual battle inside of me. I don't think I could play this piece ever again if I tried.

But it worked. You can feel me working it out. And at the end.. you'll hear it.. you know exactly when i've tilted the scales back into place and everything is well..

once again.

Under my Skin.Mp3 (c) 2002 William Cushman (4:36 / 4.3Mb)
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Here are some links to projects that people have made using this composition.. check them out!

• Marc Peters Christmas 2006

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Want to use this piece in your project or website - royalty & commercial free at no cost?
Just ask.
Send me a quick email: Email

-Bill

Meditation

So let me tell you about Brandi.

I met Brandi years ago when I was a store manager at Ruby Tuesday.

She's one of those people that just inspires you. She believes in people. So we became good friends.

Well, she used to meditate quite a bit. She had a little sand meditation garden at her pad. It was centered in the middle of a sort of shrine that was on a table. And she'd spend hours clearing her mind and just drifting into the elements on this table. There were rocks, and trinkets, and presents. Things that would represent people, hopes and dreams.

Ok, I know all this sounds incredibly "new agey" but, as I said, she was a friend. I'm not the type of person who jams religion down other peoples throats. I prefer to just let my life do the talking.

Brandi was one of the first people to listen to my new compositional style that I'm now sharing with you. And she loves it. Usually when I would finish a piece.. I would let her listen to it right away.

Actually, my preferred method of sharing my music is to sit down with you and tell you how I was feeling when I composed it.. and then let you hear it on cd... but this text will have to do for now. I've actually recorded myself telling about each composition.. but it seemed out of context for the blog world.

Give this work some time. Take your time listening to it. It is meant for meditation, relaxation. Contemplation. Introspection. Peace.

A few of my friends say it sounds like Vangelis. This is the first piece you will hear that has a "pad" beneath the piano.. which is a soft sound layer like strings.

Put on headphones to hear the sublety.

Let me know what you think. I love feedback. Write a comment, email me through my profile.. or use the mini vote over on the sidebar.


Meditation 7.02 .mp3 (c) 2002 William Cushman (7:02 / 6.5Mb)
To directly download to your computer click this icon:
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Here are some links to projects that people have made using this composition.. check them out!

• Showcase - by Tommy
• "The love song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot - spoken recording by Librivox under direction of Richard Hart.
•  

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Want to use this piece in your project or website - royalty & commercial free at no cost?
Just ask.
Send me a quick email: Email

-Bill

He likes to Ride

"Car Ride" © Jennifer Branch 2004

First off, I must give you fair warning... this piece is not the same as hardly any of my other works. This one is kind of an experimental blend of techno and piano.

Most of my works are just solo piano.. so, if you like techno type stuff, this is pretty much all i've done in that genre.

Anyways... kids are funny.

I've been around bunches of kids, and they all are different when it comes to riding in cars. Well, we have the sweetest, coolest little boy in the world. (I'm opinionated in some things.)

And if there is one thing that Caleb loves.. it's riding in the car.

So.. there we were, cruising home, just him and me.. and he was just grinning and loving it. Sitting there in his little car seat, all strapped in, just staring out the window and grooving to the rythm of the road.

I got home, and started messing around with a loop editor on the iMac called Mixman. I spliced together a bunch of cool loops, hooked up the keyboard and just started playing.

In my mind, I imagined the lines on the street passing under us.. dash.. dash.. dash. It matched up with the beat of the loops.

You can almost imagine the different sounds representing other cars on the road, the trees going by, the clouds overhead, it's all in there.

And there he was..

Little boy.

Just hanging in the back seat.. like he was meant to be there.

So..

close your eyes and take a little journey with us.

He likes to Ride 5.14 .mp3 (c) 2002 William Cushman (5:14 / 4.8Mb)
To directly download to your computer click this icon:

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Here are some links to projects that people have made using this composition.. check them out!

Check out Martin Bailey's podcasts - they use this song as a lead-in.
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Want to use this piece in your project or website - royalty & commercial free at no cost?
Just ask.
Send me a quick email: Email

-Bill

Feeling Better

Several days after I came out of the gloomy haze that surrounded my sickness (listed in the previous blog), I woke up suddenly one morning.. and felt as if a veil had been lifted.

It was gone... whatever had been dragging me down. For you, this could be something in your life that has just pulled you down and dragged you through the mud.

Then.. imagine yourself slowly coming out of a thick fog.

This piece starts off almost as if I was just beginning to wake up (which I was). As I shake off the sleepyness and confusion, my head begins to clear...


Why do bad things happen? I've heard people ask.. "Why would a Good God let such bad things happen?"

Simple. Without the bad.. there would be no contrast.. no balance.. and we would never learn to cherish the important things.

Ever meet somebody who always gets what they want? I'm sure you have.

A world without "bad" is a world without hope or love.

This music below is my interpretation of this sentiment. The elation of the soul as it breaks free. The celebration of a new day, a new beginning.

Let this music lift you up as it has lifted me.

Feeling Better 8.05 .mp3 (c) 2002 William Cushman (8:05 / 7.5Mb)
To directly download to your computer click this icon:
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Want to use this piece in your project or website - royalty & commercial free at no cost?
Just ask.
Send me a quick email: Email

-Bill

Nothing Helps

First of all, I would like to thank all of the people who have shown an interest in my music. Thank you for your compliments. I hope that you will enjoy all of the works to come.

Most of my works are a reflection of an inner conflict or emotional response to something.

I personally despise being sick.

And boy, was I sick.

I just couldn't shake the respiratory infection that I had and despite everything that I tried.. antibiotics, vitamin C, chicken soup.. absolutely Nothing would Help.

I was being a terrible person too. Whenever I get sick, I turn into a Big, Whiny, Dork. My poor wife.

So, the agony of feeling miserable basically led me to pour the emotions out onto the keyboard.

All I had strength for was to flip the record switch, spit the catharsis out, and then hit 'save'.

You may think it's choppy, or even arythmic... and you'd be right. But it's for real.

This is how I feel when I'm sick.

Nothing Helps 5.16 .mp3 (c) 2002 William Cushman (5:16 / 4.9Mb)
To directly download to your computer click this icon:
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Want to use this piece in your project or website - royalty & commercial free at no cost?
Just ask.
Send me a quick email: Email

-Bill